UN-Habitat, together with Azerbaijan, Kenya, France and Somalia, identifies key issues of the housing crisis

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) has made substantial progress in cooperation with Kenya, France, Azerbaijan and Somalia in identifying priority areas related to the housing crisis, Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) Anacláudia Rossbach said.

According to Report, speaking during the panel discussion "Global Housing Crisis: What Is the Plan?" held within the framework of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, she said the countries are developing creative and innovative ways to finance housing.

"We need to be creative, and it is very important for countries to rely on their own housing finance systems, while the mobilization of domestic resources should play a key role. We truly need to build capacity at the local level. We all must understand the importance of having a proper national foundation - urban planning policy and a housing finance system that guides practical action on the ground. Ultimately, it is at the local level that communities come together and discuss the social issues that shape urban development and, consequently, the planning of future housing construction," Rossbach noted.

She emphasized that the open-ended working group is their key mechanism for working with member states.

"First, it is aimed at developing policy recommendations for countries and cities to address housing challenges. We have already made significant progress together with Kenya, France, Azerbaijan and Somalia in identifying key issues - such as land, financing, informal settlements, social housing, and climate-resilient housing, which we are discussing here today - as well as in summarizing the experience gained," she added.